1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a home construction system utilizing a modular panel system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lightweight, easily transported, insulated modular panel system that utilizes solar energy to maintain a livable interior climate.
2. Background and Related Art
Prefabricated modular home construction is presently known in the art. Modular homes are designed, engineered, and built in a controlled environment. They are also easily disassembled, transported and re-built in different settings. The phrase, ‘modular,’ means the home is constructed with standardized units, allowing for flexibility and variety in use. This method of construction facilitates rapid completion, consistent quality, and affordability. Modular homes are typically more affordable than manufactured homes because of the minimal time, labor and resources required for on-site construction.
Most presently known methods of modular construction employ wall panels constructed of wood beams. Wood beam wall panels ensure structure stability in addition to facilitating thermal resistance through the use of insulation. The weight and bulk of such panels, however, render transportation and on-site erection of the structure awkward. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,016 (the “'016 patent”) teaches a prefabricated wall panel composed of a frame constructed of wooden boards. The frame is interconnected via transverse spacing boards, held in place by nail plates. The art taught by the '016 patent improves upon the structure stability of the prior art. The '016 patent does not attempt to remedy the difficulty involved with transporting and erecting the disclosed wall system.
Lightweight modular wall panels are also well known in the art. Such wall panels typically utilize solid polyurethane foam, which form the core of each panel. The fundamental problem inherent in presently known lightweight modular wall panels is that polyurethane foam is not readily amenable to sub-contractor installations, such as electrical, plumbing and heating system installation. Indeed, such sub-contractors must use hot knives to create passageways through the wall panel's foam core to run piping or wiring.
In response to this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,330 (the “'330 patent”) teaches a lightweight pre-insulated wall panel consisting of stud members inter-spaced between a top and bottom rail member. Foamed-in-place polyurethane covers a portion of each cavity between adjacent stud members. The layer of polyurethane foam has a thickness less than the depth of each cavity, thereby retaining within each cavity space for accommodating subcontractor installations.
As a result of its solution to the sub-contractor installation problem, the wall panel taught by the '330 patent fails to match the weightlessness of other lightweight wall panels known in the art. Indeed, the additional stud members required by the '330 patent nearly negate the primary purpose of utilizing polyurethane foam—weightlessness. Additionally, the '330 patent fails to remedy the problem of bulk encountered in the prior art.
Another problem inherent in presently known methods of modular construction is the system of tie-down anchors required to secure the wall panels to the ground. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,798 (the “'798 patent”) discloses a modular home system wherein a system of anchors is required to stabilize the structure. Certain anchors extend from the floor panel to the earth beneath the floor panel. Others extend from the ground, over the roof area of the home, and back down to the opposite side of the home.
Such anchoring is undesirable for at least three reasons. First, additional materials, time and labor are needed to ensure effectiveness of the anchoring system. Second, such anchoring is likely to cause undesirable aesthetic effects. Finally, the process of stabilizing the anchoring system is fundamental to ensuring the safety of the structure. The combination of inevitable human error and unexpected weather phenomena is likely to compromise the effectiveness of the system, resulting in inadequate protection for future inhabitants. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.